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A local radio station broadcasts a commercial describing an Office Depot® promotional campaign called Survival of the Smartest. The marketing promotion targets small businesses to find out how they are thriving – not just surviving – during economic hard times. We can repurpose this idea and question on a personal level. How will you personally and professionally survive and thrive in these economic currents?

Who’s the Smartest?

The promotion plays on the Darwinian theory, Survival of the Fittest. Eat or be eaten; kill or be killed. Ruthless in a naturalistic sense, the ferocious competition is an economic sense may easily compare in severity. Those who are surviving know the most about learning the quickest.

For example, cnn.com has a short series of profiles about people forced to adapt their careers to changing times. A contractor’s learning the ropes of “Green” building so he can profit from growing environmental initiatives. A real estate agent in Arizona had to get educated about a new demographic market (foreclosures) in order to replace lost income. A recent law school graduate opted for entrepreneurship and opened a mobile gourmet cupcake service.

Survival Learning

Without exception, these and similar stories about people succeeding in this economy (and downturns of the past) all feature people who develop the ability to learn and adapt. And what about people who continue to face months of unemployment? When you hear such stories, or if you’re in such a story, ask, “Are they (I) making efforts to learn and master new knowledge and skills more relevant to our changing economy?"

Another commonality between all the stories about people who successfully learn and adapt is that they take the initiative to benefit from informal learning opportunities. The courses and curriculum of brick and mortar colleges or universities do not adapt quickly enough to market/economic developments. To learn what you need to learn for survival and success, you’ll have to discover non-traditional sources of learning and development.

Visit the “learning tools” section of BetterLearningBetterEarning.com™ for tips to master in-demand skills to improve your career and income.

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